The Peoples Democratic Party has said it was not disturbed by the isolated endorsements of other party candidates, but enjoyed the ultimate validation of Nigerians to be demonstrated in its favour on February 25 2023.
Recall that on New Year Day, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, had, among other issues, announced his preference for the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over other candidates for the forthcoming presidential election.
Consequently, the PDP, through its presidential campaign council spokesman, Charles Aniagwu, said it would not begrudge the former president for his decision as it was within his democratic rights to freely express and associate.
Aniagwu, speaking with newsmen in Asaba, the Delta State capital, stressed that the ultimate endorsement rested with the majority of Nigerians who would exercise such in favour of the PDP at the polls.
He said: ‘’As a presidential council, we do not begrudge either the Labor Party candidate or former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. Our presidential candidate (Atiku Abubakar) and his running mate (Governor Ifeanyi Okowa) are aware that we are in a contest with other contestants….
‘’This means that it will be a competitive election. The only thing that gives us hope is that we have got the competitive edge to win. So, if there is an endorsement coming from our former president (Obasanjo), we recognize that democracy offers the freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
‘’With that being the case, we do not have any challenge because we have already received a lot of endorsements from the majority of Nigerians whom indeed, the ultimate power to endorse resides. At the end of the day, the greatest endorsement any candidate can get would be to win the election.
‘’Because we have had cause to interface with the electorates across the length and breadth of Nigeria, we are very confident that Atiku and Okowa will begin the recovery journey on May 29 2023 when they will be sworn in by the grace of God, following the overwhelming endorsement by Nigerians.
‘’So, we do not want to join issues with anybody who is castigating the former president for speaking out their preferences. Most Nigerians understand that Atiku and Okowa can take Nigeria out of the woods. One thing that every Nigerian, irrespective of political inclination, has agreed on is the parlous state of our country.
‘’This is why we are not disturbed over any endorsement coming from anywhere because we believe that most Nigerians have already endorsed Atiku and Okowa and would demonstrate that endorsement on February 25, 2023, when they would file out at the polls to elect them as the President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Aniagwu, who also doubles as the Delta State Commissioner for Information, further chided the gubernatorial candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, for making bogus allegations against the state government.
He charged Omo-Agege, who is also the Deputy Senate President, to channel his campaign toward showing Deltans his manifesto and antecedents, rather than casting aspersions.
‘’We don’t begrudge him, but he must be able to tell Deltans the truth and not use the propaganda of 2015 by raising issues that do not add up. For us in the PDP, we are campaigning based on what we know that we will deliver,” Aniagwu said.